Diverging Lines
by NK4
Summary: AU! Special Investigator, Higurashi Kagome, is relocated from the 7th Ward to the 20th Ward as things become hectic. What are her motives for joining the CCG?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

"Have you seen the news? They say ghouls are on the rise in the 20th ward."

"You know…the 20th ward isn't the only one with ghouls. I have a confession to make. I'm a ghoul. I want to eat you." The girl put her hands up with her fingers slightly curled. A large playful grin on her face.

Her friend laughed before pretending to be scared. "Whatever will I do? I guess you can't stay for dinner then." She ran off.

The first girl's eyes widened as she watched the back of her friend get further and further away. "H-Hey! Wait for me! Your mom's food is delicious. Seriously…Wait! You know you're faster than me!"

The two got further and further away until they were out of sight.

"Kids these days. They wouldn't know danger if they were hit by a bus." He handed a mug of coffee to the black hair woman whom had been watching the scene.

She smiled lightly. "You're making yourself sound old, Kururugi-san."

The twenty-four year old stuttered in denial before giving up and taking a sip of his own coffee. "Higurashi-senpai is being mean. You shouldn't be picking on you're kouhai— Ow!" Kagome's elbow had stabbed him in the side as she now marred a frown.

"Stop acting like a child. Plus attaching senpai to my name feels weird. You're older than me."

Kaname Kururugi waved her off. "That may be, but you're stuck with it. You did guide me after all."

Kagome sighed as she put down the empty mug. "Thanks for the drink." She stood and began walking away, leaving him alone.

"Wait! Where are you going?"

Kagome turned around. "I need to fill in paper work. Haven't you heard? I'm being transferred."

* * *

_This is a short first chapter but it doesn't really transition well with the next chapter._


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** This story is Supernatural and Horror as its main genres (as listed) but can also be considered a **Tragedy**. No one is safe and **major character deaths** _will_ occur. Even to characters you may love and hate me for killing. (To be fair, in this series I'm killing characters I also love…Actually I can't think of a character I hate)(And on the bright side some **people live who originally died**). Also, I'm terrible with **ratings**. If anyone ever thinks this should be rated **M** tell me and I'll make the change.

* * *

Chapter Two

* * *

She kept her breathing even as she ran across building to building, trying to spend as little time as possible in the openings between them. Reaching her destination, she climbed up the fire escape to make it on the roof.

Kagome closed her eyes and extended her senses, searching for—_"Found you." _She opened her eyes and reached for her barely curved long bow, made from a rinkaku. She positioned her ukaku made arrow to the corner of another building. She held her form waiting for the proper release time.

Her target came into view with another. Her eyes narrowed. Hunting time, was it? _"I don't think so."_

Kagome released her arrow which shot towards the ghoul with a faint pink glow. The arrow hadn't even made it to her target when she jumped off the building in attack position. The bow string retracting into one end. Kagome now could now hold her weapon with ease with two hands. She had barely left the roof when the arrow embedded itself into the ghoul, and the woman whom he was with screamed in horror of the happenings before her.

The ghoul looked down to where the arrow accurately pierce him. The skin blackening around the wound. From fighting instincts he turned around with his ukaku out. Leaving the human, he left to deal with the dove. His ukaku spread and he shot projectiles as he shot forward with the speed well known to his type. His eyes widened as all his projectiles were met with some sort of barrier.

Kagome thrust her weapon forward and the ghoul was in motion to dodge. He managed but just barely. _"My speed?!" _he thought when he realized his reaction time wasn't as sharp as it should be.

When Kagome's first strike missed, she tossed her weapon lightly back in a horizontal motion to grab the end she originally used to strike. With her grip now on the other end, she quickly used her strength to thrust back.

The ghoul coughed up blood. A sudden burst of sensation washed over him and his vision was blinded by a light. His blood and organs splattered around the immediate vicinity as the ghouls body exploded.

Kagome looked on forward even as she was showered by her opponent's blood and organs not the least phased. She twisted her head to the human who had been too horrified by the scene to run away when she should have. She was on the ground, against a wall, with tears spilling out of her eyes as she was unwilling to blink with her horrified eyes.

Kagome reached for a clean handkerchief that had been tucked away and wiped her hand. It was still stained, but her hand should be clean enough not to taint the hand of the woman. Kagome squatted down and extended her hand forward. A smile in her face that seemed sincere but didn't watch the rest of her facial expression. "Let's get you home."

The woman was quite disturbed by the scene and the state Kagome was in but nodded. She latched to Kagome's hand like a child. Kagome felt like a safe person. With the ghoul investigator she was safe.

Together they walked off.

.

After a much needed shower, Kagome headed to the local Commission of Counter Ghouls Headquarters. She walked past the bulletin board and walked up the path to the building. She was only half way when two high school students exited the building and walked quickly away.

Kagome stopped as the two passed her. She hummed. She turned and called after the two. The female much more tense than the male.

"Is there something we can help you with? We're in a hurry you see. We have cram sessions," said the girl.

She could tell the two of them were ghouls but the boy was a bit interesting. There was no doubt he was a ghoul, but something was off. Almost human…_ "But unlike demons, ghouls don't have half breeds." _Kagome's unfaltering gaze rested on the black hair boy.

"I don't want to keep you waiting."

She watched the two continue to rush off, at a faster pace than before. She continued her way into HQ when they were out of sight.

Kagome walked to the front desk to ask about the two, though doubted she would get the information she wanted, when she saw a familiar figure. "Mado-san?"

The familiar middle-ages man with sunken cheeks and long, stringy white hair turned with his ever present grin and one bulging eye as the other was squinted turned to face her. The man beside his, who was quite tall, also turned.

"It _is _Mado-san. Were you transferred to the 20th Ward as well?"

"We were." He hinted at Amon as he said, "Amon-kun, this is Special Investigator Higurashi Kagome." The statement shocked his partner who thought the girl too young to be labelled Special Investigator. He'd like to think he made good progress through the ranks and both he and Mado were First Class investigators. "Higurashi-san, this is Amon Kōtarō."

Kagome smiled to Mado's partner and bowed quite traditionally. "It's nice to meet you, Amon-san." She brought her attention to the paper in Mado's hands. "What's that?" Actually it was strange that he was at the front desk at all. That desk was really only for public use. Nothing that would be of use to him.

"Just looking over the information of two students who came in to give information."

Kagome thought about the two she encountered outside. "You're instincts are as sharp as ever." She gave the man credit where it was due. Others acknowledged her own incredible instincts too, but her "instincts" were from another origin. Mado's really was just pure instincts. "It was those two high school students, wasn't it? I can't imagine they would be dumb enough to leave their actual information."

"But the alarm didn't go off…"

"For their RC levels?"

Mado brought his hand to his face. "Well the boy at least."

"_Interesting…" _"I've got to be going. I have a report to write. I guess I'll be seeing you around. Until then…Mado-san…Amon-san…" Kagome handed the sheet back to the white hair man before leaving the two.

* * *

_I've already started the next chapter and I already know some of you are going to hate me. *sigh* But it's the direction I'm taking. _


	3. Chapter 3

_I should be asleep but I saw it fitting to update this today since my package was so kind to deliver me my Tokyo Ghoul 4 days early (and I ordered it two days ago and had to import it—Thank you France for being ahead!)_

_Enjoy—or er…try not to hate me for the events in this chapter._

* * *

Chapter Three

"Rank 3 Investigator, Kusaba Ippei's life was taken during an investigation by the rabbit ghoul. It is likely this deed was related to the parent and child ghoul case. To show our respect for investigator Kusaba's courage let us offer a silent prayer for one minute. Everyone… Silence!"

Silence echoed throughout the room. Kagome was among all the investigators. She didn't know the man but she still came to pay her respects. Well…everyone in the room is more or less obligated to attend but that was aside the point.

The moment of silent past and everyone went their ways. Kagome still didn't know why she was transferred to the 20th ward. Sure, there were a rise in threatening ghouls, but if she had to be transferred there were other wards that she knew needed more attention. There had to be another reason, right? A bigger purpose for why she was there.

Well, despite being located in the 20th ward, her missions still involved multiple wards—after all, it wasn't like there were physical border between wards and the likeliness of a ghoul sticking to one ward was slim. But for all she knew, she could have be relocated for the simple reason as they were dispersing their power in case of emergency situations. But if that was the case she would have to wonder what they were expecting.

Kagome grabbed a coffee before heading to her cubicle. Paper work needed to be done and caffeine would keep her attentive enough. It was always a boring part. It was part of the reason why she would never become a bureau investigator. They handled the majority of the paper work.

She was typing away when the internal delivery guy, the person hired by the CCG to be a delivery boy to handle documents to the investigator who required it. "Higurashi-san."

Kagome took the thick envelope. "Arigato gozaimasu."

Kagome opened the package when the man left. She grabbed the stack of sheets and pulled them out just enough to confirm what she thought. She hadn't even finished her paper work from her last hunt and she was giving her another mission.

She sighed as she put the package down and finished her report.

_Main Target: Gourmet_

_Sub Missions: Location of Ghoul Restaurant; Discover other "gourmets"._

.

Honestly, they gave her little to nothing to go off of. Unless he or she wanted to show themselves to her with their mask so she could properly identify him, it was like the CCG asking her to find a needle in a haystack. Even when she could locate ghouls, it was harder to find a specific one. In her case, it would probably be easier to find the Ghoul Restaurant to infiltrate because the density of ghouls was sure to be high enough to cause alert. Tokyo was large, though so it wouldn't be an easy thing to do.

Unless fate allowed her to have an easier life, Kagome had to accumulate information that the CCG has and her own. It was going to take longer than she'd like to accomplish what seemed like a straightforward task.

She was walking around at night as she finished her data collection and scavenging for the day when she stopped.

"_I know this feeling."_

It was the same feeling from the boy rushing away from the CCG. The ghoul human. She hadn't forgotten about him. For one, their encounter had been too recent. Secondly, he had peeked her interest. She wanted to know just who he was and why he was different. Personal curiosity.

Kagome followed her instincts a few blocks before she looked up at the road above. He was definitely there. By the sounds and voices, he was fighting someone. Using his opponent as a distraction, Kagome concealed her presence as she made her way up. At the last moment she quickened her pace to pit a pressure point. Fortunately, or unfortunately, even ghouls were susceptible to pressure points.

The masked boy fell forward and his kagune receded.

Amon stared in disbelief to how easy the woman took the ghoul down. He hadn't even noticed her show up. He supposed that was the difference between First Class and Special Investigator.

"Amon-san?" Kagome looked around for his partner. "Mado-san isn't with you."

Amon suddenly remembered the reason why he had been fighting "Eyepatch". He had been caught up in their battle.

Kagome sighed. "He's a good investigator but he always gets ahead of himself." Kagome looked at the masked boy. "Amon-san carry him for me." She could sense two ghouls from her current location. There was little doubt that Mado wasn't with them. "I'll go ahead and help Mado-san."

"You're not killing him?" He asked. Well, they were supposed to deal the least amount harm but it was a rule almost always ignored and excused. The girl's intentions hadn't seemed like taking him to the ghoul prison either.

"I'll deal with the Director later. This is an order from your superior. Carry him and don't let him die." She then ran off in the direction she knew Mado to be.

Releasing her main weapon, Kagome prepared her arrow as she continued to run. It was dark and she was still a little too far to properly see, but she could sense the fluctuation of RC cells which she attacked to when kagune were being used. With her sixth sense she release her arrow and continued to run as she prepared another.

Kagome's feet got soaked through her shoes and socks as she treaded through the water. Her footsteps catching the attention of those who had been in battle. She could see her arrow stuck in the wall. She wondered if it had done any good.

"Must you spend so much time mocking your opponent, Mado-san? It is things like this that get you into these unfavourable situations."

The teen ghoul gritted her teeth. She was having enough trouble with one Dove.

"Ah. I recognize you. You were at headquarters the other day. In another school's uniform if I remember correctly." Tōka remained still as she thought about the best course of action. She had to think more now.

Kagome prepared her arrow. Seeing that an arrow was probably easier to deal with than Mado, who was injured thus had limited attack, she decided the better person to target at the moment was the newcomer. Another reason was an arrow symbolized long ranged attacks. Hinami could be hit from there.

Kagome had fought plenty of Ukaku types in the past. Not to mention this one had been fighting for a while already with Mado which must be taking effect on her stamina.

It was a pity really.

The ghoul didn't have the necessary energy to fight, much less fight her. Also, at the very least in recent history, from the time she became an investigator, she hadn't really heard much about her. Catching sight of the rabbit mask soiled in the dirty water, Kagome corrected herself. One incident. Not that all major threats were in the CCG system, but they did a pretty good job creating profiles for the known threats. And so young too. Younger than Kagome herself that was certain.

It was a pity really.

But this would be the end.

The least she could do is offer a quick death unlike how Mado was treating them.

Kagome released her arrow. As expected the ghoul's movements were slower than optimum. Not that it mattered. If it hadn't hit the teen, it would have gone to hit the small girl. The teen hadn't even noticed they were parallel from each other.

The arrow pierced through Tōka's arm from where it connected at her shoulder, tearing it off. Tōka screamed in pain. There was so much she wanted to yell at this dove to, but Kagome had other plans. Her miko ki acted as a sharp blade penetrating butter against the ghoul. Kagome had already been prepared for her next three strikes against her. One. From the shoulder of her intact arm to her hip. Two. Reverse grip to cut horizontally. Three. Vertically down the centre of the body. It was fast that the effects were like an after effect.

Her end position left Kagome beside Tōka as if passing her in a crowded area. "You can rest now."

"Ah. Ah!" Wails and screams could be heard from the younger teen with eyes of a young child. Kagome swallowed as she pulled out another arrow. The girl's Kagunes activated but Kagome didn't want any mess ups. One shot. She would obliterate her in one shot. The ukaku shot through the offensive and defensive kagune and organs splat against the concrete bridge.

Kagome recollected her arrows.

"You really are quick at your job." Mado laughed as if the devastation he just watched was a comedy. Perhaps to him it was. A dark comedy. "Such of waste of good kagunes. They could have become great quinques."

Kagome's hand clenched. "Get up Mado-san. You can do that much can't you?" After retrieving her arrows to reuse, she approached Mado and ripped some cloth off her clothes. She took his right arm and tied it tightly around his handless arm. "Don't keep it in the water. You'll infect it."

"Mado-san!"

"It's about time you got here." Kagome faced Amon who surprisingly still had the brunet in one piece. She eyes Mado who eyed the boy. "You aren't touching him Mado-san."

"You're picking up a toy?" He crackled as he stood up. His pupil finally noticed the state of his hand.

"Mado-san. Your hand." Amon tightened his hold on the ghoul he held. Then he took full aware of the scene. His senses should have been sharper but with only the two around he hadn't been uptight. Dismembered body parts and splattered…He didn't think he wanted to know exactly what that was. He eyes the Special Investigator warily. Was this what she was capable of?

"We're returning to HQ. Mado-san will go to the medical unit and Amon-san will put him in room A17."

"We're keeping him in HQ?!" Amon couldn't believe that a special investigator wanted to keep a ghoul in a building full of investigators.

"Yes. Didn't I tell you? Leave Washū-san to me."

* * *

…_That just happened. There is no changing it…. *Hides from devoted fans*_


	4. Chapter 4

_Most of the story is __**AU**__…Actually, if __√A has enough differences to be called AU then this story has more than enough right to be called AU._

* * *

Chapter Four

Kaneki's eyes slowly open into a daze. He saw white. He slowly sat up into a sitting position. He felt a tug on his arm. He followed the tube the needle in him attached to with his eyes to the machine with an empty bag. Had he gone to the hospital for his follow up appointment? He didn't remember going. The last thing he remembered was—Kaneki jumped off the bed, rattling the equipment he had been hooked up to until the force of his jolted movement ripped the needle out of his arm. He held his arm where the needle was yanked out as the memories returned to him.

He had been fighting a Ghoul Investigator.

He had been trying to find Hinami-chan.

He had been trying to stall for Tōka-chan.

He gripped his arm where the needle was torn out as he thought about the two. Tōka-chan… Hinami-chan… What happened to them? Were they okay? He recalled the days he helped Hinami-chan with her vocabulary and the days Tōka-chan would always beat him in their spars. They were fine, weren't they?

He rushed to the door and turned the knob. It wouldn't open. Why was the door locked? He tried turning the knob a few more times before using the side of his fist to pound against the door in a desperate attempt to get out and confirm his friends were okay.

He took a step back. This wasn't getting him anywhere.

Kaneki was startled in looking up when he heard a click from the doorway and the knob turned. The door opened to reveal a young woman with long black hair, tucking a key away in her pocket.

She looked up only to blink. "Ah. You are up. Though, I hope you weren't planning on leaving the room dressed like that."

It was Kaneki's turn to blink in confusion as he looked down at his attire. It was just a hospital gown. But then where were his clothes? He looked around the room. His eyes landing on a desk where a neatly folded pile of clothes with a black hooded sweater on top which most definitely wasn't his. Next to the pile was his wallet, phone and… his mask!

Instinctively, Kaneki's hand shot up to his left eye which wasn't covered by anything. He couldn't even be certain if it was his eye or a kakugan. Nothing in the room allowed him to see his reflection. More so…

Was she human or ghoul?

"Sorry about the sweater. Yours was pretty torn so I bought a new one when the store opened first thing this morning." She smiled and talked as if nothing was out of place. Her gaze made its way to his hand covering his eye. "Does your eye hurt?" Her head tilted.

Kaneki slowly lowered his hand. "No."

"That's good. You feeling well after the transfusion?"

"I feel fine." Why did he have a transfusion? "Ano. Where am I exactly? Who are you?"

"Gomennasai gozaimasu." The woman dipped her head. "I'm Higurashi Kagome. You're at the 20th Ward's CCG Headquarters."

Kaneki froze. This wasn't good. What were the chances that she knew he was a ghoul.

"I have to say you peeked my interests, Kaneki Ken." At his reaction, she explained, "Your ID was in your wallet."

Kaneki tried to calm himself down. He was fine and she had the ability to kill him when he was asleep if she really knew he was a ghoul—

"This may be a bit too forward, but how did you turn into a ghoul?"

"W-What are you talking about?"

"Please don't think me stupid," replied Kagome displeased with his denial. "You're a ghoul but your parents are human. Logically, you somehow gained the body of a ghoul." She leaned against the doorframe. "What I'm curious to know is how."

Kaneki wondered what his chances of getting out were. He didn't know the layout of the building or where the Doves were. Nor how many. Even if he left, he couldn't go home. Couldn't return to Anteiku. Couldn't return to Hide. He took a step back defensively. This was the end for him.

Kagome sighed and uncrossed her arms. "Look. I don't expect you to trust me and I can't say I know what its like because I don't. But please don't act like I'm your Shinigami. This isn't your end. At least it doesn't have to be."

Kaneki looked on at her in surprise. He could get out? She would _let _him leave?

"Well, if you want to die that's always an option—but I don't think either of us are inclined to that option. Your second option is to be detained in Cochlea." Knowing not many knew what that was, she added, "It's a ghoul detention centre. Not very pleasant."

"And the third option?" he was almost afraid to ask.

"Your third option is to join the CCG under my jurisdiction."

Kaneki's hands tightened. Just like that his future was decided for him. Perhaps he could use this chance to keep Doves away from Anteiku. "Do I get to say my farewells," his voice blander than before.

Kagome looked at the ghoul from the corner of her eyes before looking the other way. He only could see her back as she said, "It's better if you don't. If you do I'll have to report them."

Somehow it was like she knew. Knew that he had been collaborating with other ghouls—a crime worthy or harsher penalty than a common criminal. The message was as if she was saying _"Return and I'll have to kill them"_.

In reality, perhaps her knowing wasn't that far off. Thrust into a life he wasn't used to, it would be difficult to get by on his own. Getting help from other ghouls was the logical answer. Still, she knew that and now she was giving them a chance based on his actions. It was odd to say the least. A little suspicious too considering her occupation. Still…

"Then I choose three."

She turned around with a bitter smile. "Not that you had much choice." She dug through her pocket and took out that key she had pocketed when she first arrived. She extended her hand to him. "Here." She dropped the key in her hand. "Unfortunately, you'll have to stay here until the director deems you can live on your own again. This will be your room. Also… I don't recommend wandering without me for now. There are plenty who oppose your presence."

With that Kagome left and Kaneki stayed.

* * *

_It's a bit of a shorter chapter because I had counselling today, but it will be made up in the next chapter where… a lot happens. A lot. And a lot of characters._


End file.
